Vegetable spring rolls

Name: Vegetable spring rolls
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: spring roll sheets, 1 packet; 1/2 Chinese cabbage, cut into fine chiffonade; 1 handful of beansprouts; 1/2 large carrot, cut into matchsticks; 50g of rice noodles, vermicelli, broken into small pieces; 2 garlic cloves, minced; ginger, 2cm piece, minced; 1 tbsp of coriander; 1 tbsp of sesame oil; 1 tbsp of rice wine, preferably shaoxing; 1 tbsp of soy sauce; 3 tsp cornflour, mixed with 3 tablespoons of water; 1 tbsp of sesame oil; salt; oil, for frying

by Sally Abé

Item 1 of 1

Starter
easy
Makes 10
60 minutes

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Avoid the takeaway with Sally’s delicious vegetarian spring rolls. Packed with a delicious mixture of chinese cabbage, carrot and rice noodles, these spring rolls make a fantastic addition to any Chinese meal, especially when served with Jeremy Pang’s delicious ginger dipping sauce

First published in 2016

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Spring rolls are traditionally eaten during the spring festival in China, hence the name. Believed to bring wealth and prosperity in the new year (because the roll is the shape and colour of a gold bar) spring rolls are a tasty, easy snack to prepare for Chinese New Year or as part of a buffet at a party. Some recipes call for minced pork or chicken, but I prefer them simply made with mixed vegetables and glass, or vermicelli, noodles.

Spring roll pastry can be a little tricky to get hold of but Asian supermarkets will definitely sell it, it comes in varying sizes – the wrappers I used were about 10cm square. Any smaller than this and it will get a bit fiddly to seal the filling properly, so don't be tempted to use wonton wrappers. You can of course alter the vegetables in the filling to your personal taste, red pepper, celery and green beans will all work well. Served with a simple rice wine vinegar and sesame oil dipping sauce, these crispy treats are practically irresistible.

Ingredients

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Spring rolls

spring roll sheets, 1 packet
1/2 Chinese cabbage, cut into fine chiffonade
1 handful of beansprouts
1/2 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
50g of rice noodles, vermicelli, broken into small pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
ginger, 2cm piece, minced
1 tbsp of coriander
1 tbsp of sesame oil
1 tbsp of rice wine, preferably shaoxing
1 tbsp of soy sauce
3 tsp cornflour, mixed with 3 tablespoons of water
1 tbsp of sesame oil
salt
oil, for frying

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Method

To begin, soak the noodles in warm water for 8–10 minutes

Heat a wok over a high heat with the sesame oil and add the cabbage, carrots and beansprouts and cook for 1 minute, stirring all the time

Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a few more minutes, or until softened, then stir in the soy sauce, shaoxing wine, spring onions and coriander

Transfer to a bowl to cool slightly and drain off any excess moisture. Meanwhile, drain the soaked noodles well and stir into the vegetables

To make the spring rolls, lay a layer of spring roll pastry on a clean work surface with a corner facing toward you

Place 1 tablespoon of the vegetable mixture on the corner of the pastry and begin to diagonally roll the pastry up tightly around the filling. When you get to the middle of the pastry, fold in the corners from either side and brush a little of the cornflour mixture on to the remaining corner, finish rolling up and press together to seal

Repeat with the rest of the mixture and pastry

Fill a deep saucepan with oil and heat to 180°C. Deep-fry the spring rolls in batches for 2–3 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately

First published in 2016

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Sally Abé

After a five-year stint in the kitchen at two Michelin-starred restaurant The Ledbury, Sally is now head chef at The Harwood Arms in London.

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